The present invention is directed toward a soldering iron holder and more particularly toward a soldering iron holder which includes a housing and electronic circuit means within the housing for controlling the operation of the soldering iron.
Anyone who has ever used a soldering iron has undoubtedly experienced the annoying problem of anxiously waiting for the iron to heat up and periodically testing the iron to see if it is ready for use. Insofar as Applicant is aware, there are no devices presently available on the market nor has anyone ever proposed a device for eliminating this annoyance.
Another and unquestionably more serious problem faced by users or soldering irons is that of inadvertently leaving the iron on. It is not uncommon for one using a soldering iron to be distracted or called away from his work and inadvertently forget to return to the same to turn the iron off. This not only is a waste of electrical power but can also create a serious safety hazard.
Soldering iron holders have been proposed in the past. Representative holders are described, in example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,248,486; 2,475,941; 2,494,840 and 2,543,103. None of these patented devices, however, are directed toward the problems described above. In each of the patented devices, the holder merely provides a support or rest for the soldering iron and reduces the power to the iron when the iron is supported on the holder. These prior devices do not turn the soldering iron off when the same is not in use nor do they have any means for indicating when the iron is ready for use.